Category Archives: News & Archives

Microbial study reveals extended lifespan of starved bacteria

A study of microbial populations under a prolonged period of starvation by Indiana University professor Jay T. Lennon and his laboratory could help researchers answer questions pertaining to chronic infections, the functioning of bacteria in the environment and the persistence of life itself. In a paper published online Aug. 12 by the Proceedings of the National…

Computational analysis reveals sources of genetic variations

The precise transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next is fundamental to life. Most of the time, this process unfolds with remarkable accuracy, but when it goes awry, mutations can arise -- some of them beneficial, some of them inconsequential, and some of them causing malfunction and disease. Yet, precisely where and…

Our genes shape our gut bacteria, new research shows

Our gut microbiome -- the ever-changing "rainforest" of bacteria living in our intestines -- is primarily affected by our lifestyle, including what we eat or the medications we take, most studies show. But a University of Notre Dame study has found a much greater genetic component at play than was once known. In the study,…

How SARS-CoV-2 mutates to escape antibody binding

In a recurring pattern of evolution, SARS-CoV-2 evades immune responses by selectively deleting small bits of its genetic sequence, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Since these deletions happen in a part of the sequence that encodes for the shape of the spike protein, the formerly neutralizing antibody can't…

How a single gene alteration may have separated modern humans from predecessors

As a professor of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Alysson R. Muotri, PhD, has long studied how the brain develops and what goes wrong in neurological disorders. For almost as long, he has also been curious about the evolution of the human brain -- what…

Climate change likely drove the extinction of North America’s largest animals

A new study published in Nature Communicationssuggests that the extinction of North America's largest mammals was not driven by overhunting by rapidly expanding human populations following their entrance into the Americas. Instead, the findings, based on a new statistical modelling approach, suggest that populations of large mammals fluctuated in response to climate change, with drastic decreases…

Biodiversity collections, vital for pandemic preparedness, face drop in specimen deposits

When you imagine a visit to a natural history museum, the first thing that springs to mind could be dinosaur bones or taxidermized animals. Behind the visitor displays, however, advanced research on specimens collected from around the world is taking place. What's more, this work forms an essential front line of defense in pandemic preparedness.…

The melting of the Greenland ice sheet could lead to a sea level rise of 18 cm in 2100

A new study, headed by researchers from the Universities of Liège and Oslo, applies the latest climate models, of which the MAR predicts a 60% greater melting of the Greenland ice sheet than previously predicted. Data that will be included in the next IPCC report. This study is published in Nature Communications. The Greenland ice sheet,…

Not just lizards: Alligators can regrow their tails too, new study reveals

An interdisciplinary team of scientists using advanced imaging technology have answered the question of whether alligators share any of the same regenerative capabilities as much smaller reptiles. Many kinds of small reptiles, such as lizards, are known to regrow their tails. However, with a potential body length of 14 feet, little was known about whether…

Scientists pinpoint genes common among people with severe coronavirus infections

Certain gene variants are linked to severe coronavirus infections, according to a team of scientists in Europe who studied the genomes of 2,200 critically ill covid-19 patients. Their results provide robust support that genetic makeup plays a role in the potentially fatal illness experienced by some people infected by the coronavirus. Diving into people’s DNA is an…